By Force and Violence WHN
by Nikolettelime
Summary: A What Happened Next for the season one episode By Force and Violence


After watching By Force and Violence, I felt that there should have been more of an ending, besides Nick, Jarrod and Audra making plans to leave at first light and the escaped prisoner getting away from the bounty hunters.

Here, I start where the episode ended and conclude the episode a bit more.

I own nothing.

Victoria Barkley held her youngest in her arms, trying to keep him warm. The cool spring morning they had set out in had turned cold as the sun set and Heath had since quit shivering, at some point while she was looking for help.

Right now, he was currently lucid enough to follow what she was saying, so for that she was thankful. Her real fears were that there was injuries that she had yet to see, since he was still covered in mud.

She figured he had some injuries to his ribs and possibly his legs, but wasn't sure to what extent. She was worried when he had told her he wasn't sure if there's was anything broken, as it was all numb.

If only she had of waited another week, and Jarrod could have come along, maybe they wouldn't have been in as much trouble as they were now.

HBHB

Jarrod and his two younger siblings mounted their horses and headed out for the cabin their mother and younger brother had gone to the day before.

Nothing seemed to be out of place. The spring air was crisp, leaves in the process of budding and flowers were blooming.

But for the three siblings that rode quietly, something seemed off, though they couldn't place what, exactly.

They had risen for a few quiet hours, when Jarrod saw one of their wagons horses eating brush on the side of the road. Dismounting he checked the horse over, but found nothing amiss, "One of ours for sure. Audra, ride back and get a few hands to bring a wagon. It may be nothing, but Heath would never let a horse wander around like this."

Nick took the reins from his brother, "Let's keep going. Hopefully it's nothing, but I have a bad feeling about this."

Audra threw her extra canteen to her oldest brother, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Be careful."

Jarrod remounted, and turned to Nick, "Let's go see what trouble our brother has gotten himself into."

HBHB

Victoria had dozed off, Heath still wrapped in her arms protectively, when she heard horses. Sitting up straighter, but not enough to wake her sleeping son, reaching for Heath's gun she found in the wreckage.

Pointing the iron in the air, the Barkley matriarch shot off three shots, Heath coming awake at the sound, "Mother,-"

"Hush, son. I hear someone coming, so maybe we can get you some help and get out of here."

The hoof beats came closer, and revealed the two oldest Barkley brothers, who quickly came to their mother's side.

"Mother, are you alright?" Nick asked, kneeling by her.

Jarrod had taken his younger brother, who was now barely conscious once again. "Heath, can you tell me where you're hurt?"

"Ribs, hips and can't feel my legs," his breaths coming in gasps, but his words were plain, though slow. "Hurts, Jarrod.," the younger man groaned, as another wave of pain washed over him.

Jarrod had Heath pulled against his chest, as Victoria waved her middle son away with assurances of just being tired, and to worry about her younger son.

Together the two older men moved the younger to the bed rolls and blankets that Victoria and Nick had set up away from the mud, making it easier for the wagon to get him.

He carefully, to prevent further pain to their brother, the older ones removed his jacket and chaps before cutting his shirt off, showing the extensive bruising across the blonde's chest. Nick cut away the tan jeans with his hunting knife, as their mother worked to heat water from the water barrel.

Nick released a breath he didn't know he was holding, as he saw his brother's hips and legs, all deeply bruised and his right leg showing a slight bump below the knee.

Sending a prayer of thanks that it wasn't as bad as it could have been, the rancher covered his brother with a blanket, as he jerked himself from Jerrod's grasp and vomited what little water he had gotten down.

Victoria sat on her knees by her three boys, and looked into the blue eyes of her youngest, "Heath, you're going to be okay. We're going to get you home and Audra will pamper you like always."

Noticing his rapid breathing and then paleness of the normally tanned face, Nick grabbed another blanket to cover his brother, "Mother, help! He's going into shock."

The older woman waded through the mud again to get the crate the lamp had sat on and pulled it to the others, lifting Heath's legs onto it and tucking the blankets closer around him.

As they worked to keep their youngest with them, Audra soon showed up with three extra ranch hands and a wagon, quickly dismounting and joining her family, running her fingers through her older brother's hair.

"Is he okay, Mother?"

Victoria looked at her daughter, "He will be. We'll make sure of it."

After getting the blond cowboy in the wagon with their mother and Jerrod, much to Audra's annoyance, they headed back to the ranch.

HBHB

Heath floated between wakefulness and unconsciousness, both vying for his attention, but unable to give over to either one. He knew his mother was beside him, leaning against Jarrod, if the brown jacket was any indication, and he was in his brother's arms, leaning against his chest.

He heard words around him. Knew that someone was speaking. But unable to respond, almost like he was watching from afar.

He vaguely felt them stop in front of the place he now called home. Couldn't tell who helped his brothers carry him up to his room, but knew it was happening.

He felt like he was watching from a different perspective, almost like outside looking in. He knew he should probably be concerned, but found it hard, even as darkness claimed him.

HBHB

Victoria sat by her blond son's bedside, watching him sleep. She thought back to all the things they had been through, smiling at the bittersweet memories, remembering when he first called her mother.

Maria had chosen her father over love, leaving Heath heartbroken and upset, wondering if his heritage would always follow him around.

Perhaps, the family never realized how bad the young man had things growing up, but to see it first hand, and to see the effects it had on the blond, left them all upset.

And it was a few nights later, as Heath sat in front of the fireplace, after everyone else had gone to bed, that Victoria spoke with her normally quiet son.

And in that time he opened his heart to her. Telling her his dreams of marrying and raising children right here on the ranch.

And his fears of never being good enough to marry, his legacy dying with him, all because he was a backwoods colt.

And as her son cried his frustrations, she held him tight, and though he still called her ma'am, and thanked her for listening, she knew they had grown closer.

It wasn't until he had been shot by Evan Miles, helping Nick try to retrieve their cattle, did he call her mother.

She was sitting with him and Dr. Merar was preparing to remove the bullet from his arm, and had been asked to leave. However, a shaky hand, and a whispered "stay" kept her from leaving.

The doctor, sensing the trust and not wanting to rile his patient allowed her to stay, and help by administering the chloroform.

And as the young blond fought the sedative, he locked his blue eyes on her gray, "Thank you, Mother," was the last words from his mouth, as sleep claimed him, and could have been seen as the situation causing him to speak out of turn.

But she prayed it wasn't so. And her prayers were answered. Yes, it had taken time and prayer and patience that paid off. Because when he woke up from the anesthesia, he had smiled tiredly and tightened his grip on her hand, "Thank you, Mother, for everything."

And that one word was worth the wait, especially knowing that he meant to say it.

Victoria wiped the tears from her eyes, as she remembered the day she could have lost the son of her heart, knowing that the same could have happened when the wagon fell on him.

Waiting for Dr. Merar wasn't easy and she needed to know how badly her son was hurt, worried that, other than an occasional movement, he was badly hurt.

She felt hands on her shoulders, and knew it was her older son coming to take over for her.

HBHB

Nick was next to sit vigil and that was hard for someone who was always in motion. But for his young brother, he would do anything.

"Doc Merar is held up at the Stevenson's place. Seems one of their hands got hurt helping one of the others out of the corral. You know, Heath. I'm glad we work so well together. We know what the other is thinking, and how each other works."

He turned from the window, "I need you by my side, little brother. The ranch works so much better with you there. Sure, the men function well with just one of us. But with both of us, it goes so much smoother. I'm just sorry it took me so long to notice that."

He placed a gloved hand on Heath's shoulder, "I need you busting broncs with me, boy. I don't know what Stevenson's man did wrong to get beat up like he did, but I know that we have each others backs and you would pull me out of the way. Maybe that's what happened. Brother protecting another and placed himself in danger."

With that, the dark headed rancher sat in the chair by his brother, and contemplated their life together, and wished, for not the first time, that they had grown up together. He could have protected him from the Simmons and having to work in the mines. He wouldn't have had to go to war at such a young age and then ended in a prison camp. He had seen the scars on his younger brother's back and it made him sick to think of how Heath had been treated.

"Nick? Mother needs you downstairs."

HBHB

Audra came in at sunrise, a book in hand with intentions of reading to a brother she wanted so badly to talk with, instead. With a kiss on her cheek and a final touch to his brother's face, Nick left the room.

Audra was much like her mother, and remained silent, though she opted to sit on the bed by her brother and only made one attempt to read from her book, unable to stay concentrated on it.

She took her brother's hand and traced the lines on the palm, thinking of how he protected her from a mob when he first showed up. And protected her from Evan Miles, later being shot by the same man.

She looked at the scar on his bicep and gently touched it, saddened that she had caused another scar to mar his skin.

No she hadn't put it there herself, but by opening herself up to Evan and then denying him, causing Heath to come to her aid, it had put a target on his back.

Sighing, she looked at her brother, and pulled the covers up a bit more for him, before running her fingers through his hair, her gaze turning to the windows, "Please wake up, Heath. I need my big brother to talk to."

"Audra? Wake up, honey."

HBHB

Jarrod took over at noon, still waiting for his brother to wake, and waiting on the doctor to show up.

Audra wasn't a quiet person at all, so knowing that the younger man would still be out, the lawyer decided to check in on them, finding his sister sound asleep, curled into Heath's side, her hands wrapped around his right arm.

"Audra? Wake up, honey."

The oldest boy paced the floor, talking about his up coming trial and was working on his opening statement and closing arguments.

"No wonder you win so many cases, brother." The quiet sentence caused the lawyer to turn to the bed and sit on the edge, facing his brother, "And why is that?"

"You talk them to death."

Jarrod smiled, shoulders slumping in relief, "How are you feeling, kid?"

"Been better. Feel like I got run over by a herd of mustang's, but at least I can feel something now."

Jarrod took his hand as another wave of pain went through him, "Heath? You're going to be okay. I give you my word on that."

"Can I have some water?"

Jarrod nodded and helped him with the cup, "Doc should be here soon, boy."

The young cowboy groaned as the doctor entered and asked for the help of the oldest son.

HBHB

Jarrod covered his brother back up as the doctor left, meeting the rest of the family in the doorway, "Victoria, he is very sick. He is very exhausted, which explains the lapse in consciousness. His left leg is broken and he has a pelvic fracture that will heal in time. He also has some sweeping around his spine, but with him feeling the pain, I'm not too concerned at this time. He broke some ribs some wrapped those. The main thing is to keep him quiet and warm, and in bed. I've left some laudanum on the table, but if it gets too bad, there's also some morphine there as well. I'll be back in a few days to check on him."

The family came to stand by Jarrod as he looked at the blond cowboy, wishing that he could take the pain away.

HBHB

The next days and weeks went by, at first watching Heath sleep, then trying to entertain him enough to keep him in bed.

Then Dr. Merar allowed him out of bed, after removing the cast from his leg, and with the assistance of Jarrod and Nick, the doctor directed them on standing their brother up.

A strangled groan was the only sound that the cowboy made, as his body adjusted to supporting his weight after 8 weeks of being stationary.

The goal was for the young man to walk to the end of his bed, however he only made it five steps before his knees buckled, causing a swallowed scream.

After settling him back in bed with a half dose of laudanum, Dr. Merar listened to his heart and lungs, "I know that was painful, Heath, and you will experience that for a while yet. I want you to only try to walk to the end of your bed and back a few times a day. Once you can do that with little discomfort, walk to your window and back. Eventually we will work it up until you can walk to the staircase and then we will work with going down the stairs. But for now baby steps. Then we will get to the bigger things." He patted the younger man's shoulder, "Get some rest, Heath. I'll see you in a few days."

HBHB

It was another month before Heath was able to walk down the stairs unassisted and 6 weeks before he was able to ride.

By the time four months had passed since the accident, the blond cowboy was able to sit on a horse for more than 39 minutes and ride range, though Nick made him go home by noon.

Audra still had him take the wagon to town when she had to go, and would take the reigns the majority of the time.

Jarrod would meet him for lunch when he could and would make him stay in the meeting room for a few hours of rest before he had to go home.

The only one who treated him like he wouldn't break, was Victoria. If he wanted to ride Charger, she wouldn't argue. He wanted to go non stop to Stockton? She let him.

But at night, when he had over did it, she was the one administering the pain medication and sitting with him when he fell asleep.

Life soon got back to normal on the ranch, and for that, the family was thankful, especially knowing that their blond brother was still Amongst them.

HBHB

So, after looking carefully and being directed by someone with more knowledge, I found that the first recorded time Heath called Victoria 'Mother' was their first Christmas together in episode 15, Judgment in Heaven. I find it very hard for him to have been with them for so long and that be the first time for him to do so, especially since she made no effort to look surprised. So in my opinion, the wasn't the first time for it to have happened.


End file.
